SYRACUSE >> The Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central boy’s basketball team entered its Section III Class B quarterfinal game against Cazenovia with a 10-game win streak. Thanks to a strong performance by its seniors, the Eagles left with that streak intact.

ITC scored 31 points in the fourth quarter, defeating the Lakers 65-56 to advance to the semifinals.

“They made shots in the fourth quarter and in the end they deserved to win,” said Cazenovia coach Paul Harney.

Against South Jefferson in the first round, Cazenovia scored 22 unanswered points to open the game. The first quarter on Tuesday went a little bit differently for the Lakers. On ITC’s first possession, Rensey Chandler drew a foul and made both of his free throws, giving the Eagles a quick 2-0 advantage. But Andrew Vogl countered, netting a 3-pointer to put the Lakers up 3-2.

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After that, the two teams traded the lead six times until a 3-pointer by James Walker gave the Eagles a 14-12 lead. Cazenovia had a few chances to tie the game in the final minute of the quarter but turned the ball over two times. Algernon Torrence hit a shot in the final seconds, sending ITC into the second quarter with a 16-12 advantage.

Cazenovia struck first in the second period with a layup by Kevin Hopsicker cutting the Eagles’ lead to 16-14. But again ITC answered, scoring four unanswered points to take a 20-14 lead. Then, after trailing by as many nine points, Vogl led a Laker comeback. He tallied four consecutive points then forced a turnover, cutting the Eagles’ lead to 28-25. But that was the closest the visitors would get in the half. Hopsicker’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer sailed wide and the Lakers went into halftime trailing 28-25.

Harney has said in the past that defense leads to offense. That was especially true in the third quarter. The Lakers defense limited ITC to only a few shots in the opening minutes, keeping them scoreless until a 3-pointer by Walker in the final minute of the period. Meanwhile, Cazenovia had no shortage of offense. Vogl continued to lead the way as the Lakers scored seven unanswered points to take a 35-28 lead. The two teams traded 3-pointers to close the quarter, Eric Dickson’s coming from outside the arc as the buzzer sounded.

After scoring a combined 34 points in the first three quarters, ITC’s offense exploded in the fourth. Led by Chandler and Torrence, the Eagles scored eight unanswered points to tie the game 45-45. From there, things only continued to get worse for the Lakers. Walker was fouled as a he made a layup then netted the ensuing foul and two others to put his team up 53-47.

Forced to play from behind, Cazenovia continued to struggle at the free throw line, making only two of its five attempts. Even so, the Lakers were able to pull to within five points with 2:00 to play. But Chandler netted four straight free throws to seal the win.

“It’s a whole season, it’s their body of work,” Harney said. “One game doesn’t define who they are but unfortunately there is finality and it is what it is.”

About the Author

Courtney Haupt, the assistant sports editor at the Oneida Dispatch, can best be described as a sports junkie. A recent Newhouse graduate, the Maryland native covers high school sports around the area. You can follow Courtney on Twitter at @DispatchHaupt. Reach the author at chaupt@oneidadispatch.com
or follow Courtney on Twitter: @DispatchHaupt.